Spike.



0. n. WALGOTTV.

SPIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED IEB.7,.1908. RENEWED DEC. 2B, 1906.

Patented July 6, 1909.

I muawboz EHHHLESD. WflL CU TT CHARLES D. WALCOTT, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

SPIKE Application filed. February 7, 1908, Serial No. 414,713.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1909.

Renewed December 26, 1908. Serial No. 469,373.

To all ink-om it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES D. \Vamoiur, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of l" ashington, in the District of loluiubia, have made certain new and useful lii'iproveinents in Spikes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a spike, especially designed for securing railroad rails to wooden cross ties, which spike shall possess the following desiable characteristics, viz: one that may be cheaply formed from rolled bars and one that avoids the splitting of the tie and which does not turn or rotate about its longitudinal axis in driving, and which withal possesses a much greater holding effect when sunk into the wooden tie than spikes of ordinary cross section.

My invention consists in a spike of peculiar construction possessing the above described advantages, as will be hereinafter more fully described with reference to the drawing, in which l igure 1 is a perspective view of the spike. Fig. 2 a cross section of the same on line f2-2 of F ig. 11. Fig. 3 is a plan view on a larger scale showing the relation of the spike to the base flange of the rail and the subjaccnt wooden cross tie. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section thiitnigh the wooden cross tie and the embedded spike showing the peculiar cross section of the spike in its relation to the wood fibers, and Fig. 4 is a cross sect-ion of a modified form of the spike.

The spike is made from a rolled bar of the cross section shown in Fig. 2, which bar is cut off in proper lengths, is beveled at one end to form the chisel point Z), l and is upset and swaged at the other end to form the head B which has the usual overhang 7) on one side to overlap and retain the base flange of the rail.

The cross section of my spike is its important feature and is described as follows. One side of the spike, i. e. the side opposite the overhang 7) of the head, is made of a half round shape as seen at a, and the opposite side of the spike, 2'. 6., the side next to the rail and the overhang of the head, is formed with one or more transversely concave curves which are extended along the length of the spike to form straight longitudinal grooves. Preferably there are two of these straight grooves running parallel to each other on the side next to the ail and in rolling these grooves in the original bar the rolls are made of such shape as to form at the corners two convexly rounded flanges a a and an intermediate middle rib or flange also rounded with the alternating grooves between them formed with smooth and outwardly enlarging openings that allow the matched portion of the roll to readily leave the bar without sticking. The curves of the concave grooves run smoothly and continuously into the curves of the convex flanges without angles. This cross section of the spike not only allows the rolling of the bar to proceed along practical lines,

but such cross section also has a special value in the spike in the exercise of its functions; first, for avoiding the splitting of the tie, and secondly for increasing the frictional adhesion in the wood and consequently increasing its holding power and freedom from tendency to loosen under the jolting strains of tratlic.

First with regard to avoiding the splitting of the tie. It is well known that every spike acts more or less as a wedge when driven into a wooden tie, and if there exists any crack or split on either side of the spike when driven this split or crack soon allows, from entrance of water, the softening or rotting of the wood and the loosening of the spike. \Vhen my spike is driven into the tie to retain the rail as shown in F 3, the transverse line o a of the spike, Fig. 3, is parallel to the longitudinal fibers of the wood and the corner flanges a a, finding a bearing against the edge 9' 4', of the rail, as seen in 2 and 3, hold the spike in this position against any tendency to rotate about its longitudinal axis while being driven. The result will be that the fibers of the wood are crowded. back in the direction of their length, as seen at f in Fig. 3 and there will be little or no expansive action on the wood at right angles to the line of cleavage (a, at such as causes a splitting strain. Not only is the splitting of the tie thus avoided, but the crowded back fibers f of the wood are all pressing against curved surfaces on both sides of the spike, that squeeze and hold it closely with a greatly increased frictional adhesion without cleavage cracks and which under extracting tests shows a far greater holding power than any other cross section.

I prefer to make my spike with the two straight concave grooves, but good results may be obtained with only a single groove a extending practically across the spike as seen in Fig. 4, but this construction does not have so good holding power. In either case it is important that the grooves should be concave in cross section and with smooth and easy curves running into the convex curves of the flanges in order to allow of the proper wedging action of the wood fibers in expanding into the curves, and also to facilitate the rolling of the bar.

I do not claim broadly a spike half-round in cross section, but I am not aware that a spike of this general cross section has ever been formed on the rail side with a straight groove curved concavely in transverse direction and with smooth and easy curves run ning from concave to convex and without angles which permits the crowding and pinching effect of the wood fibers against the spike without splitting, tearing or breaking the fibers, and maintaining always such close and snug hugging of the spike by the wood as to leave no cracks for the entrance of water and also greatly increasing that frictional adhesion and holding power which is the real function of the spike.

In forming the spike, the bevel Z) of the chisel edge is made somewhat longer and at a greater angle than the bevel b on the other side, so that in driving the spike, the head will have a tendency to lean in to a closer overhang on the rail.

I claim A railway spike, consisting of a body part having a wedge-shape end and a head over hanging on one side, the said body part being formed with a convex and half-round surface on the side opposite the overhang of the head and with one or more grooves on the same side as the overhang of the head, said groove or grooves being concave in cross section forming smooth curves, and the extreme corners of the rail side of the spike being fashioned into flanges rounded and convex in cross section to form bearing points against the rail base.

CHARLES D. \VALCOTT.

Witnesses:

J. Louis Vvinnion, JAMES G. TAYLOR. 

